Before The West Coast
by Chi Yagami
Summary: [hiatus] Raven escaped Azarath and her past by coming to Earth. But in order to remain hidden, she must blend in with a "normal teenage life" something she wants no part in. And Ravager and Robin don't do much to lighten the load… RavenRobin
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans or any related characters.

Yes, there is a plot… There is a villain. This isn't just some alternate beginning to the Teen Titans. Okay, so it is _sort of_ an alternate beginning, but it is a story of its own. Plus, this focuses more on building the relationship between Robin and Raven.

I do not know much about Azarath. I have only seen glimpses on the show, and I've read a bit online… but I'm going to basically make up a bunch of stuff…

Summary: Raven escaped Azarath and her past by coming to Earth. But in order to remain hidden, she must blend in with a "normal teenage life" something she wants no part in. And Ravager and Robin don't do much to lighten the load… Raven Robin

* * *

**Before ****The West Coast**

By: Chi Yagami

* * *

**Prologue**

_"__I think you're trying to help. . . . . . But I've been wrong before." _

– James Gordon in _Batman Begins_

_"Raven."_

_". . ."_

_"Raven, it is time."_

_"I know." She briefly turned from the window to look at her mother, and then went back to staring through the glass. She wasn't look across her homeland with sorrow or regret; she was merely watching the sun set in the sky. She had never watched a sunset before._

_"I have something for you…"_

_Arella joined her daughter at the window and presented her with a small tote bag._

_"What is it?" Raven asked, forgetting to contain the surprise in her voice. The people of Azarath had no need for possessions. What had her mother been hiding?_

_"A gift. Don't open it until you have reached the safety of __Lena's house. Oh, and here is her address," her mother said, handing her a scrap of paper._

_"__Bl__ü__dhaven__?"_

_"You'll be fine. Just remember to meditate—"_

_"—at least three times a day. I know."_

_"The eclipse is approaching. Goodbye, my Raven."_

_Arella embraced her daughter tightly. Raven hugged her mother back, but only slightly…_

Now what was she to do? She didn't know where she was, nor did she have a map to help her. The sun was already setting here; how was she supposed to find her way around in the dark? She was on a small island not far from the mainland, or, at least, what Raven assumed was the mainland. It had the skyscrapers and moving vehicles (cars) that her mother had described. She drew her dark blue cloak more tightly around her small frame before disappearing in a bubble of black energy.

She remerged in a dark alleyway in the city. Her ears rejected the loud noise of the traffic, and her nose wrinkled in disgust from every odor it could sense. She heard something shift behind her and quickly turned. Her mind raced with thoughts of being followed from Azarath.

An odorous, unattractive man leered at her from the shadows. Raven raised an eyebrow, as if to say 'so what?' and turned back around. Then she walked out into the dim streets of the unknown city.

* * *

Gotham. That was the name of the city that she was in. Raven had discovered a map in her mother's bag (it had been hidden in a pocket), as well as some Earth clothes (she had not looked at anything else). She had entered a store and changed in the bathroom. Now she stood outside, reading the map, wearing the black blouse and pleated skirt that she assumed had once belonged to her mother. Her blue boots might have looked slightly out of place to a passerby, but Raven took no notice. She, after all, had not been educated on the fashions of Earth.

Blüdhaven was located just west of Gotham; Raven was in luck. She had been afraid that she might have to travel far, something that would require flight. Arella had told her that most humans on Earth were not accustomed to seeing people fly, and she would draw unwanted attention to herself. Her mother's plan was for Raven to simply hide out at her aunt's house until her eighteenth birthday had passed. But Raven had just seen a billboard for something called _The Justice League_.

Her mother had mentioned that there might be a few humans on the planet with superpowers such as her own, but her mother had also said that they would be rare and hidden throughout the world. But here they were, a team of them gathered in the city she just happened to have arrived in.

Raven knew that Trigon was safely imprisoned in a third dimension, but she could not help but wonder what would happen on Azarath when the priests discovered that someone had already used and closed the portal to Earth. Her mother, already ostracized by her daughter's impure blood, would most likely be punished, or worse. Arella had insisted that Raven risk the chance of one or both of them being caught for a way to escape her horrible fate. Raven knew that her mother was a strong woman, but she couldn't help feeling the slightest bit worried that her mother might soon join the Priestess Azar in the afterlife. And her father Trigon could not completely be dismissed from her mind either… She could still feel the slightest bit of his presence inside her anger.

And so, with heavy thoughts weighing on her mind, she set off to the Main Street, where the billboard had shown The Justice League's headquarters to be located.

* * *

"It's, like, ninety-eight degrees out here. What in the world is she thinking?"

"Perhaps the blouse is made of a thin material?"

"Come on, Lizzie, look at her! Black? In this heat?"

"Maybe she likes the color. At least she is wearing a skirt," the one named Lizzie replied.

"God, she has a stone glued to her forehead! She looks like a freak!"

"In India, that is a sign of marriage…"

"Does she _look_ Indian?"

Raven watched the two girls gossip about her out of the corner of her eye. They were about her age, and they were accompanied by an older boy. The one named Lizzie had shoulder length black hair that curled outwards at the end, and her dark blue eyes were fixated on the bottle of cool lemonade in her hand. Her friend, whose named Raven had learned was Harley, was inspecting her nails and tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for the light to change. She ran a hand through her bobbed cherry hair and her light cerulean eyes made a sweep of her surroundings. She caught Raven looking at her.

"The girl has purple contacts and dyed purple hair?" she muttered to Lizzie. The boy finally glanced at his companions.

"Is all you girls do is gossip? Forget about her. If we want to make the movie on time, we need to get going."

"I know, Charley. Calm down."

The light changed and the three of them were gone. If she had been any other girl, Raven would have scowled after them.

She crossed the street to where the even-numbered buildings were located and glanced around. She wasn't exactly sure what the headquarters looked like…

_Justice League – At Your Service: __Citizen Help Center_

A large office building to her right had the huge neon sign hanging outside the fifth floor. Raven briefly wondered if this was ill-planned and a dead giveaway to villains. For if there were "superheroes" there were surely "villains," right?

She pulled one of the two glass doors open and stepped inside the entryway. An open area was just to her left, with square furniture, and the help desk was directly ahead. Three metal doors (possibly the elevator machines?) lined the wall on her right.

Raven walked straight to the help desk and watched the man behind the counter. He was typing away furiously on a machine that had numerous buttons, muttering something incoherent. She looked on in mild amusement of his 'box desk' before deciding that she was wasting time.

"Excuse me."

"Oh, hello," the man greeted in surprise, slightly jumping in his seat and causing several papers to fall to the floor.

"How may I help you, ma'am?"

"I would like to speak with whoever leads The Justice League," she told him.

"Do you have an appointment?" the man asked, finally looking at her. He seemed to notice her height and did a double-take. "I'm sorry, Miss, but school field trips are closed for today. If you would like to register your school, I can give you the paperwork."

"No… no _thank you_. I am not with a school. I need to speak to someone on The Justice League."

"What about?" he asked, somewhat annoyed. "They're not signing autographs or doing interviews."

She didn't understand the meaning of _autographs_ but she knew that whatever he had said was meant to sound insulting. "I just need to talk to them…"

"Then come back another time. None of them are in anyway," he told her dismissively, and then he went back to his computer.

She could feel his annoyance radiating through her emotions and decided that he was lying. However, keeping her mother's words in mind, Raven only turned on her heel and walked out of the building, more determined than ever to seek help from the superheroes.

She darted into the alley between the building and the coffee shop next door. Raven retrieved her cloak from the tote bag and fastened it around her neck securely. She drew the hood, its shadow engulfing most of her visage and leaving only her eyes and mouth visible. Then she melted into the floor in a pool of darkness and transported herself to the roof.

Where she reappeared only a few feet away from a cloaked stranger.

He did not flinch when Raven emerged from nowhere, but he did put a hand on his utility belt to ready himself.

Raven blinked at the stranger for several seconds before realizing what she was seeing. The man was wearing a black bodysuit and matching cape, a dark bat engraved on his chest. His black boots came to his knees, and his onyx mask covered most of his face, like Raven's hood. If she hadn't meditated only hours earlier, she might have laughed at his outfit.

"Who are you?" the man asked in a deep husky voice.

"Who are _you_?" she repeated, taking a step backward, not only for herself but also to make it make it known to him that she was not an _immediate_ threat.

He straightened his posture and watched her seriously.

"I am Batman."

Raven watched him for any subtle movements, and, detecting none, realized he was waiting for a response.

"Nice costume," was all she could think of. Suspicion and curiosity wafted through her senses. At least he wasn't harboring any resentment… yet.

"Are you in The Justice League?" she asked quietly.

The slits of his mask seemed to narrow as he tried to determine her angle.

"What is it to you?"

"I need their help."

Her cloak covered the majority of her figure, her eyes two bright amethysts under her hood.

"Why?"

"It's complicated."

"The Justice League isn't truly located here…"

"I figured as much. This is a decoy?"

"More like a place for concerned citizens to file complaints."

"Keep the people happy?"

"This is a democracy."

"Where is the real headquarters?"

Batman approached the half-demon. "I will take you to them… and they will decide what to do with you."

"I'm no villain," she defended. Batman turned away.

"Are you?"

Raven chose to remain silent as she followed him off the roof.

* * *

Batman glanced at his guest: she was pressed as far into the corner of her seat as she could get, and her eyes were darting about the vehicle nervously. Her face, however, betrayed nothing more than discomfort.

"Is my car that scary?" he asked, snapping Raven from her thoughts.

"I've… I have never been inside a car before," she admitted. To her surprise, he chuckled.

"Well, my car certainly isn't like the rest of them."

"How so?"

"Most cars have… far less weapons built into them."

"I don't trust you."

"I don't expect you to."

"Who are you? I mean," she asked, trying to find the right words, "why are you dressed like that? And if you aren't in The Justice League then why were you on the roof of that building?"

"I never said I wasn't in The Justice League."

"Are you?"

"Not exactly."

"Then why the costume? Who are you really?"

"I could ask you the same questions."

Her face darkened a bit. "Then ask."

"I'll let the others see to that," he answered, closing the conversation. Good thing, or he would've been distracted and missed the turn. He spun the wheel and the car jerked, turning quickly to the right. Raven clutched the door handle with every ounce of strength she had.

"You're insane," she told him, her voice sounding a bit higher than she wanted.

"Look who you're talking to," he deadpanned.

"Good poi-ENTT!" she gasped as he sped down the road.

"I'm _barely_ speeding," he commented. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Raven, who had forced herself not to close her eyes and give in to emotions, came out of her reverie and blinked at the question. She thought carefully and studied him before answering.

"You could say that…"

No way in Hell was Raven telling _anyone_ (especially not some nut dressed like a bat) about her beloved Azarath. She could not risk it, nor did she feel like explaining it to anyone. Her mother had taught her that the people of Earth had limited knowledge and knew nothing about other dimensions. She had to keep the whole of Azarath a secret. In order to survive on Earth, she would have to start over with a new story; she could no longer be Raven. Raven had stayed behind.

She was glad that the masked stranger did not try to pry further into her private life. She had to confirm details with Lena before passing them along to others.

"Where are we?" she asked, reading a sign that read _Leaving Gotham City Limits_.

"We're leaving the city and approaching the bridge."

"Bridge?"

"Gotham, Blüdhaven, and several other cities are located on what some people call The New York Island. We need to get to the main state of New York in order to reach the Justice League."

Raven retrieved her map from the bag and studied it. New York was a small section of the continent called North America. To prepare for living on Earth, she had been forced to dedicate hours of study time to learning basic facts about the countries America and Canada. Her map was at least twenty years old (it was the only one her mother had brought to Azarath when she had crossed dimensions), and she hoped the information was not too aged. She also had a bad feeling that her English and grammar were out-dated; her mother had informed her that the English language changed frequently.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Her fear of the car was slowly being replaced by her curiosity of their surroundings.

"Rhode Island."

"How far is that?" Raven pressed her forehead against the glass and looked out over a bay.

"A couple of hours. It's going to be a long ride."

* * *

"I really don't think you should be doing that…"

"Doing what?"

"Holding my hand."

"You're blindfolded. How else are you supposed to walk through this cave without bumping into something?"

"My powers are controlled by my emotions. And, while I have meditated today, I am _not_ used to having people touch me."

"Powers?"

"Yes. I'm trying my best to subdue them… but you have been warned."

"We're almost inside headquarters. I can take your blindfold off in there."

"Why not now? I don't know where the cave is located; I don't even know what city we're in!"

"Good."

She frowned and continued to bite back her rage. Batman had blindfolded her shortly after they had entered the state of Rhode Island. And now he was guiding her through some cave, holding her by the wrist. Her whole body tingled with disgust. _Someone was touching her_. But she could not get worked up over something trivial. Azar had once said that Trigon was connected through Raven's emotions, especially anger. She was not about to give in, not after everything her mother had sacrificed to get her this far.

She heard several beeps, followed by a swishing noise, and suddenly she was being shoved into an air conditioned room. Her boots squished with dampness on a marble floor. Batman released her arm and removed her blindfold.

Raven let out a breath of relief.

"We're here," Batman informed her, motioning for her to follow.

"Obviously."

They walked through a set of metal double doors, and Raven gasped. The room they had just entered was filled with electronic equipment, something she had only heard about. Raven wondered which ones were telephones and which ones were microwaves.

"What is this?" she asked.

"The central room. The League was notified of my arrival; they'll be here in no time."

"Aren't those people on the team?" she asked, motioning to the men and women stationed at various equipment.

"No. They just work here."

"What do they do?"

"Boring stuff. Stop asking questions."

She glared at him but said nothing more. She was actually starting to get cold feet. What if someone knew of her connection to Trigon? What if they locked her away forever? She could tell Batman that she had changed her mind, but that would probably raise suspicion. Not that he wasn't already suspicious of her…

"Batman, what is this?" a man's voice rang out. "Is she a villain?"

A tall man wearing a blue bodysuit and red cape strode towards them from a side door. He was followed by two men and a woman. All of them were wearing ridiculous costumes, but, unlike Batman's, their suits were much more colorful.

"I'm not sure. She says she needs your help."

"Well, young lady, who are you?" the man in the red costume asked.

However, before Raven could think to provide an answer, the side door opened again and a young woman clad in a leotard rushed through. Another weird person in costume…

"Sorry I'm late! What's the—" she stopped when she caught sight of Raven next to Batman.

"Zee," Batman greeted.

"Batman. Who's your friend?"

"Well, Zatanna, before you interrupted, we were trying to find out," the other woman said in a clipped voice.

"Wonder Woman, Zatanna," the 'blue-one' (as Raven had dubbed him subconsciously) stated, "you can argue later. Who are you?"

Raven realized he was addressing her now.

"I'm… I need your help."

"What for?"

"I want to join your team. I want to fight evil."

_I want to fight the evil within me. I want to side with good, in the hopes that it will destroy my father's hold on me._

"You brought a fangirl, Batman?" Wonder Woman asked. "Isn't she a little young for you?"

"She teleported herself onto the Gotham Help Center rooftop. She claims to have powers."

"Do you?" Zatanna asked, narrowing her eyes at the girl.

"Yes."

"Prove it."

Raven shrugged and glanced around the room. She did not feel like letting these strangers see her true power. Instead, she tried to find something small to levitate. Something that would not require her mantra.

"Nice parlor trick, kid," Zatanna observed, watching Raven levitate an empty soda can.

"It is not a trick," she replied thickly.

"So she is telekinetic. Big whoop," the red one commented, looking bored.

"Flash, I'm sure she can do more than that."

"I can."

"Then why don't you?"

"It would be…" Raven offered lamely. What could she say? Dangerous? She could not very well tell them that she was harboring a piece of an evil demon inside her. That would not help her position at all.

"I think she's dangerous," Zatanna spoke up. "She's obviously hiding something. Don't you agree, Green?"

Green Arrow looked between Zatanna, Wonder Woman, Flash, and finally Superman.

"We don't know her. And if she isn't going to offer any information, then we have to judge her accordingly," he replied, addressing everyone.

"Kid, you can't join us. You're too secretive."

"You haven't even let her introduce herself," Batman interjected.

"Would she?" asked Zatanna knowingly. All eyes focused on Raven.

"No."

"Then go home, kid. We can't help you."

Raven glared at them all before turning on her heel and dissolving into a black hole.

"Didn't see that coming," Flash muttered. "Where'd she go?"

"Probably back to Gotham."

Everyone turned to Batman.

"She hasn't been here long… In America I mean. She'd never even been inside a car before."

"Where did she say she was from?" Zatanna wondered curiously.

"She didn't."

* * *

Bruce Wayne, disguised as Batman, watched as the mysterious girl wandered the dark streets of Gotham. She kept looking at her map, and she would occasionally place her finger on Gotham or Blüdhaven.

"Blüdhaven. What kind of a name for a city is that?" she muttered to herself, folding her map and placing it gracefully back into her bag. Then, she continued on her way to Gotham's neighboring city.

Batman watched her until she disappeared from sight. Then he pulled out his cell phone and hit a speed dial number.

"Robin, I have a job for you."

* * *

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

I do not own _The Justice League_ or _Batman Begins_. : D

Eh, so it has begun. I know that not all of my facts on the Justice League are correct, but oh well. And I've never been to New York, so I don't know exactly how NYC is connected to New York. Lol I'm probably wrong, but ehh. If you want to correct me, go ahead. Oh, and I'm basing most of Batman's facts on _Batman Begins_. I just like that version the best. If you don't like this, go read something else. This is a _fan fiction_. It's my story, and I'm writing it how I want to.

If you enjoyed it, yay! So sit back, relax, and hit the review button. XD

Next up: _Chapter I – Raven _


	2. Raven

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans or any related characters.

Notes: In this story, Blüdhaven has not fallen victim to crime like Gotham has. I know they say that it always had problems… but I needed a city that wasn't Gotham but close to Gotham (literally; you'll see why in later chapters). It'll have crime, but I had to alter it to be a decent city.

I've also been watching the old _Batman_ TV show. If you've seen it, don't be surprised if Robin pops a familiar line or two… XD Unfortunately, Robin doesn't make a physical appearance until _Chapter V – Robin_, but don't fret: he'll be in every chapter in some form. Sorry he's not here sooner, but that is just how I have the story planned. I'm actually itching to write about him… XD

_Raven thinks in Italics._

Summary: Raven escaped Azarath and her past by coming to Earth. But in order to remain hidden, she must blend in with a "normal teenage life" something she wants no part in. And Ravager and Robin don't do much to lighten the load…

* * *

**Before T****he West Coast**

By: Chi Yagami

* * *

**Chapter I – Raven**

_"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" _– The Mad Hatter in_ Alice __In__ Wonderland_

She knew it had to be around midnight by the time she finally reached Blüdhaven. Raven was not exactly exhausted, but she was definitely tired of walking. However, since she did not know her way around, she did not want to teleport anywhere. Teleporting into that alleyway had been luck, and teleporting out of The Justice League's headquarters had only been possible because she remembered where the Gotham Help Center was in relation to its surroundings. If she tried to teleport now, she might take five steps backward instead of taking one forward.

Currently, she was standing at the corner of Harper Street and Dawes Avenue. Raven wished her map included street names. She glanced around and spotted a small café still open. Perhaps someone inside could give her directions. She hated asking people for help, but drastic times called for drastic measures.

She entered the café and was greeting with the smell of cinnamon and something else. There was a counter where Raven assumed customers purchased their food, and the rest of the room was cluttered with tables and chairs. On each table was an electronic device, slightly similar to the one the rude man had been using.

She sat down at a table and stared at the device.

"What is this?" she asked to herself. She began to poke the machine.

"Hi," a friendly voice interrupted. Raven turned to see a girl about her own age standing next to her. She stared at the girl.

"Do you need any help?" the girl asked, pushing her long brown hair away from her face. Raven could see that she was not wearing one of the aprons that the other employees were sporting. She decided that the girl must be a customer.

"What is this device?" she asked, inwardly cringing. Teenagers on Earth were rowdy and ignorant, her mother had said; she didn't feel like dealing with irritating teens right now.

"It's a computer. Have you never used one before?"

She felt genuine curiosity from the girl and chose to take her chances.

"No. Could you… help me?" she asked weakly.

"Sure," she replied with a smile. "I'm Lilith, nice to meet you."

She dragged another chair over next to Raven's and sat down.

"Could you tell me what I'm smelling? It is overly strong.."

_And I have a sensitive nose! Damn, that stuff is strong!_

The girl laughed. "That's the smell of coffee. So, what do you need help with?" Lilith asked, turning the laptop so that she could reach the keys more easily.

"Well, I'm uhh new here, and I don't know my way around. I need to get to Spruce Street."

"Ah. That's on the outskirts of Blüdhaven. I'll pull up a map for you."

Raven watched in awe as the girl's hands flew across the buttons ("This is the keyboard," Lilith explained. "You type on the keys, kind of like writing on paper."). Sometimes she would pause and run her finger over a touchpad.

"It's called a _mouse_?" Raven asked, peering at it.

"Yeah. On the stationary computers, the ones that are too big to carry around, the mice are attached to the computer by a cable, and are oval-shaped."

"_Mice_?"

"Yeah, weird name, I know," Lilith agreed, logging onto the Internet. "Now, this is the Internet. It's… well, do you know about the Internet?"

"No…"

"Wow, you must have really lived in the Dark Ages or something."

"Or something."

By the time Lilith had finished explaining the concept of the World Wide Web to Raven, they were the only two customers left in The WWW-Dot Café.

"So much strange technology," she muttered as Lilith clinked on a MapQuest link.

"You didn't have technology at your old house?"

"Not… exactly… My mother was… old-fashioned."

"Ah. Well, this site should help you out. What's the exact address?"

* * *

She groaned and looked around. Lilith had drawn a map, labeled streets, _and_ given her a handheld compass, but, in the end, Raven was still_ lost_. She had made it to Sutterheim Lane, which was adjacent to Spruce Street. However, there was no Spruce anywhere.

"Ugh," she groaned again. "Could this _be_ any worse?"

Raven had never dealt with much irony before.

"I suppose it could." She continued walking down the street, now accompanied by heavy rain.

"This world must hate me. Though I can't say I blame it."

_I am the spawn of Satan, after all. Who wouldn't hate me?_

After inspecting both dead ends, she concluded that Spruce must not be connected to Sutterheim. Frustrated, she kicked a lamppost, and with a sickening crack, it broke in half.

"Hmm?" Raven examined the top of the lamp and saw that there was something carved into the metal. An _S_, a _P_, could it have once read _SPRUCE STREET_? She felt a bubble of joy floating inside her. She looked for the street. The bubble burst.

A small dirt road branching away from Sutterheim was next to the fallen street light. In the darkness and under the veil of rain, it could be easily missed. She tugged the defiant hood farther over her head, her side-bangs dripping with water. Her spirit slightly lifted, Raven started off down the dark, muddy trail that led to the unknown.

"Fifty-two o'nine. Fifty-two o'nine," she repeated to herself, scanning the painted numbers on the mailboxes. This street could very well be the oldest in Blüdhaven: the houses were made of dilapidated wood and the paint had long faded away, so that they were all mismatched colors of white and gray. Other homes that Raven had passed had been made of stones, and those were certainly in much better conditions.

5209 Spruce Street just happened to be the oldest and most dilapidated of them all. She winced at the messy, bright blue paint (the only fresh paint on the block) and briefly hoped she had the wrong house. An ancient swing was hanging from a tree that covered most of the sprawling lawn. A veranda wrapped around the left side of the first floor, while the second floor was adorned with shuttered windows. And a small mailbox that had the address painted on it also bore the name _Roth_, confirming Raven's questions to whether or not this was her aunt Lena Roth's house.

She walked up the dirt path to the front part of the porch. The place almost appeared to be leaning on its framework; she was afraid that if she put one small foot on that first step, the place would fall to pieces. She daintily placed her right foot on the bottom step and applied a small amount of pressure. It seemed firm enough…

She made it all the way to the front door without bringing down the house. It was sturdier than she originally thought.

Raven assumed that the tiny button next to the doorknob was the _doorbell_ she'd learned about, but her hand paused before her finger pad could 'ring the bell.' It had to be at least one o'clock in the morning. She could wait until later in the morning, just sleep on the porch… But it was raining and she was soaking wet. She removed her cape and draped it over her arm, shivering. This woman was definitely _not_ going to be happy, being disturbed in the wee hours of the dawn (much less having to take in a strange girl). Raven wondered if Lena knew anything about her. Did she even know she had a niece? Her mother had left Earth around Raven's own age, but she wasn't sure if Lena was the older or younger sister.

"Well, I certainly hope she's already reached her mid-life crisis."

* * *

A woman in her mid thirties answered the door the fourth time Raven rang the bell.

"Damn, people!" she cursed, switching on the hall light. "Do you have any idea what time— oh my!"

She had seen the sopping-wet teenage girl standing on the porch, a bag in one hand and a cloak in the other. Raven braced herself for the lady's outburst.

"Arella? Is that you, Ari?" she asked shakily, reaching out to touch the sixteen-year-old. Raven automatically stepped back.

"I'm dreaming. Or I died in my sleep and have joined you in the afterlife!" the woman gasped, putting a hand to her heart. "I must be dead!"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Arella is not dead…" _She__ better not__ be…_

"Who are you?" the woman suddenly barked, apparently realizing that she indeed was not dreaming. "Get off my porch."

"I'm Arella's daughter. May I come in?"

The lady's eyes widened, then they narrowed. "Arella is dead. She died a long time ago."

The girl sighed. Arella had explained that it might take a little extra to convince Lena of her existence. _"Lena probably thinks I am dead, but, if she doesn't, then __she is pretty close to believing that I am__ This might test her hope…__"_

"Arella said you might feel that way… Here."

Raven handed the woman a letter which she had produced from her bag. Lena Roth took it with shaking hands. Then, with another suspicious glance at Raven, she beckoned the child to come inside.

While the frantic female sank onto the couch reading the letter, Raven looked around the house with curious eyes. She had entered into a front hall, with Lena in the parlor to her left. It contained a small sofa and chair set. To her right was a sitting room, complete with a piano and tea set on the table. The hallway led to a large family room behind the staircase. Photographs hung from the walls, and Raven could smell the sickly-sweet aroma she'd been breathing in earlier. What was it… _coffee_? Yes, Lilith had told her it was something called coffee.

Intrigued, she stepped closer to a small rectangular table that was in the hallway; photographs in elegant frames were scattered across the tabletop, and she was curious to see if her mother was in any of them. Most of the pictures showed Lena, at various ages. There were several pictures of Lena with a man and child; perhaps her husband and daughter? Ah! An old photo of a young Lena, around Raven's age… Lena was standing in front of her mother father, and, next to her, was

"Arella," Raven whispered, touching the glass softly. She could see why Lena had mistaken her for Arella; they looked so much alike. When she was younger, Arella's hair had been short like Raven's, as well as purple. _I wonder if it was naturally purple… the girl on the street seemed to think my hair color was odd._ Furthermore, Arella had been wearing _the very same outfit _that Raven herself was currently donning.

"You look so much like her."

Raven looked up to see Lena smiling softly. She tentatively stretched her lips.

"Would you like to sit down? I think we have a lot to talk about," her aunt suggested, returning to the parlor and taking a seat. Raven sat in the nearby armchair.

"So… where to begin?" Lena laughed nervously.

"How about from the beginning?" Raven offered. "Could you tell me why my mother left Earth?"

"Certainly. But first, my name is Lena Roth, and, you, my niece, what is your name?"

Arella had instructed Raven to adopt an alias after arriving on Earth. Lena was not to know of Raven's real name, and Arella did not want to know Raven's new identity (in case the information should be forced out of her). So now Raven was left with the task of renaming herself.

"Rachel," she supplied. "Rachel Roth."

"Well, Rachel, it happened about twenty years ago. Arella had just turned fifteen, only a week before she disappeared. We went to different schools, since I had graduated early. But I sometimes saw her hanging out with her friends at cafés, and, let me tell you, these were not the types of friends that she had regularly. Arella was a good girl, a shy, quiet girl, and these friends of hers were…"

"Weird? Creepy?" Raven offered, knowing that the "friends" Lena was speaking of were actually the people who had crossed to Azarath with her mother.

"More like secretive, and I didn't trust them at all. One day, I overheard several of them talking. One boy said that his brother had traveled through a portal to another dimension, and that, soon, he and the rest of them would do the same. I immediately ran home to find Arella, to knock some sense into her."

"You believed them?"

"No, but I believed that they were crazy. I thought that they might try to pull a People's Temple or something; I assumed they might kill themselves in order to reach this other world. I confronted Arella at once, demanding to know why she was involved with such nutcases."

"She pushed you away, didn't she?" Raven asked, recalling her mother's vague account of the story.

"Yes. And… I'm afraid that _I'm_ the one who pushed her the extra mile," Lena sobbed. "I drove her away; I was her last straw."

"No, no you weren't," Raven said kindly, moving onto the couch beside her aunt. An emotion told her to pat the lady on the back, but Raven just scooted to the edge of the sofa instead.

"Well, it didn't matter, because she left. On Halloween, she and her group of friends went out, told everyone they were trick-or-treating. But they never came back, and I knew that they had tried to reach another dimension. However, no one believed me. The only proof I had was the fact that there were no bodies, but the police dismissed it as a case of 'fast feet.' Over the years I grew to believe them, assuming that Arella had merely disappeared into the world. When our parents died, I thought that she would surely return. But she didn't. And a few years ago, I heard a report of several deaths, and I learned that they were the friends who had vanished with my sister."

_Those were probably the six idiots who tried to return to Earth during the last eclipse on __Azarath__. However, they ignored the fact that, in order for the __journey__ to be successful, only one person may cross… I suppose their bodies made it to the other side, but their souls did not…_

"The police told me that I should assume my sister was dead as well. There was an unidentified female body, and they decided to use it as an excuse to kill her. I prayed that my sister was still alive, but I slowly adapted to the probability that she had died with her _cult_. And now you're here, defying everything I was told."

The story was nothing that Raven had not expected. Lena was staring off, as if drawn back into those horrible memories. Raven watched her with empathy, subconsciously wondering _why_ her mother had chosen to leave her life on Earth. Was it because she was sick of her family? Had she just wanted to live out a stereotypical teenage dream? To have her own adventure? Azarath was no pleasure cruise; it had strict rules and regulations. Raven often compared it to a nun's convent.

"So… how is Arella?"

"She is fine. She is well-adjusted."

"Rachel, I understand what your mother wrote in this letter, about your power-hungry father who is out to kill you. I know that you can't tell me everything, but can you tell me something?"

"Of course," she answered. "However, might I change and sleep first? I am not accustomed to Earth, but I am pretty sure that humans are not nocturnal…"

"Oh, certainly! I'm sorry; you must be tired from your journey."

Lena led Raven up the stairs and into a short corridor. The first room was Lena's bedroom; she told Raven that she could knock if she needed anything. The second was a bathroom, and they did not stop at the third door. The fourth room was a small bedroom, furnished with a bed, desk, and dresser.

"Will this be okay? I'll get you some dry clothes."

Lena poked her head into the closet and grabbed a floor-length white nightgown.

"It was Arella's. This was her room," Lena explained desolately. "Our parents sold most of her things. I only have a few things."

"This is the house you grew up in?" _Well, this the only address __Arella__ had… It's a good thing that Lena didn't move._

"Yes. I couldn't leave; I hoped that one day Arella would return, and I wanted to be here if she did."

Lena paused at the doorway. "I won't wake you; just come downstairs when you're ready. We still have much to discuss."

"Yes. Where may I discard my wet things?"

"In the bathroom," Lena replied sleepily. "I'm probably going to wake up thinking this was all a dream… Well, goodnight, Rachel."

"Goodnight," she called after her aunt. Then she closed the door and stripped out of the wet ensemble. After tugging the nightgown over her head, she hung Arella's old clothes over the shower curtain rod. Raven suddenly felt very tired, and she was glad that she had not decided to sleep on the porch.

_Wow, Earth beds are much more comfortable than the ones on __Azarath__. I'll have to choose my words carefully when describing __Azarath__ to Lena. And she has so much to teach me on the ways of Earth…__And when did I become so emotional? Almost reaching out to Lena like that! Whichever emotion that was, she will dearly pay in the morning! Oh, oh no! My mirror! I forgot it on __Azarath__! I had to keep it hidden from the monks, and I forgot to retrieve it from its hiding spot! Meditation alone is not enough to keep my emotions in check! Calm yourself, Raven… don't panic. You haven't meditated in a while. This is not… the time… to lose control… __hnnn__…_

Raven yawned and burrowed deeper under the covers. She lay on her back and closed her eyes, instantly falling asleep.

Five minutes later, she rolled on her side and curled into a ball.

* * *

"So, what you're saying is… This other dimension is like another planet? Wow. And you lived in the capital city?" Lena asked enthusiastically.

Raven nodded. Best to let her think up the details; they would probably be farther off from the truth.

"And you had a center temple? Who did you pray to? You know, who was your God?"

"Err— Raza, yes, Raza… The God of Emotion," she lied, trying to keep a blank face.

"And that's why you have to keep your emotions in check?" Lena asked, finishing off her breakfast. "Because if you don't, the Emotion God Raza will punish you?"

Nibbling a bit of toast, Raven nodded again. _The monks will think I have disgraced __Azar__… and __Azar__, well, __Azar__ would probably laugh…_

"Well, Rachel, I'm off to work at the hospital."

"Hospital?"

"A center where people called doctors heal the sick and injured."

"That's nice of them."

Lena laughed and grabbed her coat. "We'll discuss it all when I get home at six. Think you can entertain yourself? I wouldn't advise going outside."

"Don't worry."

"You can explore the house and the backyard, if you'd like."

"Thanks."

"Bye!" she waved at Raven as she exited through the kitchen door. It went into the backyard, and there was a path leading to the garage where Lena's minivan was parked.

Raven climbed the stairs and went to her room. Sitting on her bed, still clad in the nightgown, she opened the tote bag that Arella had given her.

First, she pulled out the map and her original uniform, the only things from the bag to have seen Blüdhaven so far. She placed them on the nightstand that Lena had brought in from the garage.

_I'm not sure what else is in here… knowing my mother, it could be anything._

She reached into the bag and grasped a handle. She gasped, recognizing its familiarity.

"My mirror!" she cried out, her happy emotion surfacing. This mirror was the key in controlling her feelings. She hugged the small hand mirror to her chest, thanking Azar over and over. How had her mother known? It had been safely hidden in the temple library inside a fake book. By chance, had her mother opened it?

Also inside the bag were other Azarathian relics. Things she had though were burned in the fire when the monks had punished her. Her favorite books from the library. The rings given to her by Azar shortly before the priestess had died.

Raven crossed her legs and floated above her bed. She would need a few more hours of meditation to calm her happiness.

* * *

"Robin, I have a job for you."

"Really? Yes! My first assignment!"

"Calm down. I need you to follow someone."

"Who? Will I be trailing the _hot_ Poison Ivy? The _fat_ Penguin? The—"

"She's about five-foot-two, purple hair and purple eyes, very pale—"

"Five-foot-two…?"

"I didn't stutter, Robin."

"You want me to babysit some brat?!"

* * *

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

I do not own MapQuest.

The People's Temple is a cult from the 1950s led by Jim Jones. The incident that Lena is referring to most is when Jones murdered them all with a poisonous drink. I really wanted to use Heaven's Gate as the example (they believed in joining an alien power by sacrificing themselves during a comet sighting), but Arella disappeared in the 80s, and that cult hadn't been formed yet…

Well, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter XD This was basically a background chapter, to explain Raven's origins. More will be explained in later chapters.

Our friendly alien princess is up next in: _Chapter II – __Starfire_


	3. Starfire

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans or any related characters.

Read the notes! They are _always_ important…

Oh my, haha, I just finished watching _Teen Titans: Trouble In Tokyo_, I must say I was very disappointed. Not enough Raven… (sniff) But watching Robin in those shades and lab coat (well, it _looked_ like a lab coat XD) was hilarious. And then —WUSHA!— he flings off the clothes and jumps into Titan gear! Ahahaha…

Notes: Some of you thought that Robin was a little OOC. Well, I can understand why you might think so, but I have to disagree (Robin's ego is a little high). Hopefully this chapter will help clear things up. However, his character cannot fully be explained until he is actually introduced… XD AND… I have to change up Azarath (hides from conservative Raven fans). I'm sorry! But watching the episode _Prophecy _showed me what Azarath was really like… and it just doesn't fit my story. The changes are not drastic; but, due to how I'm writing Arella's history, I have to change Azarath a bit. But it will all make sense! I swear: )

So, basically, I leave a lot of unanswered questions. Go ahead and ask; they help me out actually. You might catch something I did not! But, rest assured, I will explain everything at _some_ point or another in the story! If I told you everything at once, that wouldn't be any fun…!

Summary: Raven escaped Azarath and her past by coming to Earth. But in order to remain hidden, she must blend in with a "normal teenage life" something she wants no part in. And Ravager and Robin don't do much to lighten the load…

* * *

**Before The West Coast**

By: Chi Yagami

* * *

**Chapter II – Starfire**

"_Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at the stars because we are human?"_ — The Narrator in _Stardust_

"You want me to babysit some brat?!"

"First of all, she is no _brat_. Second of all, it's not babysitting—"

"No, you just want me to spend all my free time stalking some girl."

"I won't lie, Robin. But this is an important mission; I need you to cover it. She went to the League seeking help."

"Why?"

"That's what you need to find out. She can levitate objects and teleport herself. She might be dangerous."

"Fine. I'll stalk the kid."

"Kid? She's about your age…"

"What's her name?"

"She wouldn't tell me."

"_Great_. My first solo assignment and I'm trailing Jane Doe!"

"She shouldn't be that hard to find. Her pale skin and purple hair are easy to spot. Hmm, and I'm quite certain she is in Blüdhaven."

"What makes you so sure?"

"She kept checking its location on her map."

"_Ughh_, why can't I just hunt down the Joker instead?"

"Robin, you are a skilled fighter, I'll admit. But you are no match for the Joker. I'm not going to deal you a hand you can't play correctly."

"Ha ha, very funny. If you have so many jokes, why don't you just join him?"

"Hmm… Arkham is too full. They might need to build a new wing."

"Yeah, yeah. So why is this girl so important?"

"I have my reasons…"

"Such as…?"

"She acts suspiciously; she practically had a panic attack in the Batmobile."

"Didn't a certain other girl have a panic attack in the Batmobile?"

"_It wasn't like that_… She said that she had never been in a car before."

"Think she's an alien?"

"You can answer that by doing your job. Start tomorrow."

"Roger."

"Oh, and Robin?"

"Hmm?"

"I saw that summer reading list you were trying to hide."

"Robin, over and out!"

"Robin! Don't you hang up on—"

". . . . ."

"—me…"

* * *

"Finally… I've calmed myself."

Her lips curled.

"For the most part."

Taking Lena's advice, Raven decided to distract herself by familiarizing herself with the house. She could explore the Azarathian relics later (most likely following her afternoon meditation).

_It isn't prying; she said it was okay. It isn't prying! I'M NOT PRYING!_

Frustrated with the voices in her head, she flung open the closet door in her room. Her aunt had said that she still had some of Arella's things, and Raven assumed that, since this was Arella's old room, these were her belongings.

Bright colored clothes hung on the rack in front of her face. Her mother had worn _these_? WAY too bright for Raven's taste. There wasn't much else in the closet, just some old school books and papers. She pushed a stack of books aside and revealed a hidden object. She reached out and clasped her fingers around the rectangular item, thinking it to be another book. However, her lips twitched in momentary surprise when she realized it was a framed photo. She brought it over to the window to see it better under the light.

It was a photograph of her mother when she had been a child. _She had black hair!_ Raven mentally gasped. _Like Lena…_ But hadn't she just seen a different photograph of her young mother with _purple_ hair? That meant that her mother must have started dying it at some point… _But if it was dyed, I would have black hair, according to science. Hmm, perhaps the Azarathians teach different science than Earth? I am not exactly sure, but I believe most of my people migrated from this dimension…_ However, Raven's biological science was different, unnatural… _un-human_.

She flipped the photo over and saw a date and name scribbled in the bottom left corner: _1977 – Angela_. Angela? Was that her mother's birth name? Lena had said 'Arella'… _Better ask Lena when she gets home._

After Raven had finished exploring her bedroom, she moved on to the room next door, the bathroom. There was a small.. sink? She could not remember its exact name, whatever the American word for 'water basin' was… and a large tub sat in the corner. And next to it was…

"Another water basin? Why does it have so many… lids?" She noticed a silver handle on the box connected to the basin. She pushed it down, and her eyes widened at the reaction. All of the water was now swirling down the hole at the bottom of the basin.

_OH! This must be the _toilet_… Wow, Raven, you're _exceptionally_ bright today…_

Azarath did not have toilets; instead, they had the ancient 'bucket-and-outhouse' system. Her mother had explained that, while Azarathians had come from Earth and knew of much technology, the dimension did not have all the elemental particles required to create such machinery. They had been forced to adapt to 'ancient ways.' _My mother always said she missed toilets… hmm…_ She decided to wait until Lena returned to deal with _this_ room.

She shut the door behind her and opened the next one: it was Lena's bedroom. Raven turned away, pulling the door closed behind her. She might have the courage to explore the house (with Lena's approval of course), but she was _not_ about to invade her aunt's personal bedroom. She probably would not do it even if Lena encouraged it.

She moved to the door of the only other room on the second story. She gripped the knob and twisted it.

It was locked.

_Why is it locked? What is Lena trying to hide?_

"Shut up, Curiosity," she commanded of herself. The door was probably locked for good reason.

"I will not pry into other people's personal lives," she vowed. And then she realized that she was talking to herself and how pointless it was. With a final glance around the hallway, Raven moved to investigate the first floor. She paused on the stair landing and gazed through the window.

Sunlight rained down upon the front yard and the house across the road. She peered up at the sky and gasped. There was only one sun! Where were the moon and second sun? At this time of day on Azarath, all three could be seen; the moon took the night, then the first sun joined it for morning and, by midday, all three were visible. Then the first sun and moon would set in the late afternoon, leaving only the second sun to set in the evening and be replaced by moon.

"I still have much to learn about this strange world… This is going to be a _long_ day."

* * *

Raven rubbed her forehead and sighed. What should she call this feeling?

"Lena, why am I feeling so… restless?"

Her aunt finished setting the table for dinner before turning to her niece, who was in the family room.

"Is there nothing on TV?"

"What do you mean? You have over five hundred channels; of course there's something on."

Lena laughed and returned to the stove to stir the green beans. "When I say 'nothing on TV' I really mean 'nothing on TV you want to watch.'"

"Why do words have so many different meanings? Especially in English…"

"Well, that's more of a… _slang_ phrase I think. Dinner's ready," Lena called. "I hope you like this dish."

"What is it called?" Raven asked, sitting down across from her aunt.

"Lasagna."

"It looks like the insides of a krϋhtun."

"A what?"

"An animal back home. I suppose you could compare it to the cows of Earth."

"Ahaha… Oh, you were saying?"

Raven eyed the pasta suspiciously before taking a small bite. "This is good!" she blurted before she could control her emotions. "Err— I mean, I've been feeling restless."

"Most people would feel restless after staying inside for an entire week."

Had it already been that long? Raven felt as if she had just arrived yesterday. _I suppose in all the excitement and confusion, time seemed to pass quickly._ She had spent her days investigating the house, reading Lena's books (most of which Raven had passed on because they were adult romance novels), and watching TV. She was most amazed by the TV, how it worked, why there were so many different _channels_. She had quickly discovered that it was an easy way to learn about Earth. And when Lena would get home from work, she would answer any questions Raven had. Such as, _What makes the refrigerator stay cold?_ and _How does the telephone know when people call you?_ or _When did Arella start dying her hair, and is her real name Angela?_

"_Arella's real name is Angela Elizabeth Roth," Lena had explained, "She always hated her name, so when she entered middle school she changed it to Arella. And sometime during her freshman year in high school, Arella was shortened to Ari."_

"_When did she change her hair color?"_

"_Sometime in middle school; her favorite color was purple."_

"_Is it possible that dyes can become genetic?"_

"_What do you mean? Isn't your hair dyed as well?"_

"_What? Oh… yes." _There had been no need to disclose unnecessary information.

Raven continued to happily eat her lasagna and vegetables. Earth food was by far tastier than Azarathian food, especially meat; Azarath did not have a lot of meat, and Raven had never had fish before. As she thought about the differences between the two worlds, something surfaced to the top of her conscious that she had been pushing back the entire week.

"Lena…?" she started. _What am I doing? I'm prying! No…!_

"Yes?"

_Come on,_ her mind persuaded, _there's no harm in asking. She said we should ask if we had any questions!_

"Erm… Did you know that one of the doors upstairs is locked?" she asked tentatively, opting for a less-direct approach.

She watched as Lena surveyed her, something Raven often did to others while trying to determine a level of trust. "It's okay! I didn't mean to pry—!"

"No, it's alright… I'm sure you saw the pictures in the hallway, correct?"

Raven remembered the photos on the side table in the front hall. "Yes, the ones with the man and child?"

"The very ones… Well, I used to be married." She stopped, as if she didn't want to think about it. Raven suddenly felt a horrible swooping in the pits of her stomach, one that reminded her of her own parents' relation…

"Was… Was he abusive?" she asked quietly. Lena looked startled.

"Abusive? My god, no! Thank heavens… No, no… Actually," she replied slowly, poking at her dinner with a fork, "actually, he died a few years ago with…"

And Raven knew who the man and child were.

She wasn't sure what made her do it. Perhaps the woman's sadness was just too strong and overflowed her senses, or it could have been sympathy from Raven herself… but she stood and walked over to her aunt and placed a small, pale arm around the woman's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," Lena sobbed. "I'm ruining the evening. I don't know how I got so emotional all of the sudden…"

"It's… okay," Raven found herself saying. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, you have the right to know…" Raven fetched her some tissues before returning to her own seat. It took several minutes for Lena to calm herself enough to start explaining.

"William, my husband, and our daughter Abigail… She was around your age, Rachel, a bit younger maybe. She was very eager to go out into the world… wanted to go out and grow up as fast as she could. Well, she was a teenager, so naturally she wanted to drive…"

_She _wanted_ to drive?_ Raven recalled her episode with the Batman…

"Will offered to teach her himself. We couldn't exactly afford the driving school, you see…" Lena looked ashamed at mentioning her financial problems. "So they went out in his old pickup truck, used to drive around the block… And one day, it was raining…"

Raven did not know much about driving, but she could feel that Lena had reached the part of the story she dreaded remembering the most, and Raven could only guess that the rain was not a good sign.

"I told them not to go," she sobbed lightly. "Begged and told them firmly to stay put inside, but Abby was too persistent, too eager to drive in the rain… she said she might as well get it over with because everyone has to drive in the rain at some point. And so I unwillingly agreed…"

"So they went?" Raven guessed, more to show that she was listening (as opposed to surrendering to curiosity).

"Yes. And they never came back… Tire swerved off the road on the slippery rain. They were crossing a bridge…"

"Oh no," she breathed, stopping Lena. Raven did not need to hear any more, nor did she think her emotions could continue blocking Lena's if she let her aunt continue. She had no desire to become overflowed with sympathy and grief.

"Well… I've healed. But it's hard you know?"

"Mmhm…"

"I'm sorry… look what a mess I am."

"So the locked room is your daughter's?" Lena nodded. "Do you ever go in there? No? Well, I know it's not really my place to say… but I think you daughter would like it if you would visit her."

"Visit? But she's—"

"It helps to talk to them," Raven pressed. "It helps you remember them… and lets them share time with you still."

Lena started at the girl sitting at her dining table. The woman wiped her tear-stricken face and smiled timidly. "Thank you, Rachel…"

Raven stretched the corners of her mouth into a rare smile.

"Now, I know you probably don't like being cooped up in here, but I know from your mother's letter that you wish to remain unnoticed and unseen." Raven nodded. "I also know that you have a pretty small idea of what actually goes on here, especially in America, seeing as the country is in constant motion. So, I will teach you a few things… and I think you should start going outside."

"What? But I… It's too dangerous."

Lena's smile grew at the sight of Raven's face. "Not wandering aimlessly around the city… but… But perhaps you'd enjoy going to the library and studying up on American culture and language?"

"Well, I do miss reading," she admitted, "and I've already read the books my mother gave me from home many times."

"Yes. So, the library in Blüdhaven is not far; you could walk there within twenty minutes. You don't have to interact with anyone, unless you want to ask the librarians a question, although I believe they have computers that can help you as well."

_Those devices have _way_ too many buttons… I think I'll chance the librarian…_

Raven was worried about going outside. She did not want to get involved with this world. The plan was to wait here, in the safety of this house, until her eighteenth birthday passed. Then, she would wait for the next portal to Azarath and return home. And while she was on Earth, she had to remain hidden; no one could know her real name or connection to Azarath. She could trust no one.

"Does it have learning books?" Raven asked. "I prefer reading to watching."

"Learning…? Oh, yes… I would suggest you start in the children's section; it will probably be better than starting elsewhere."

"Will I look odd? Do teenagers normally read picture books?"

"Some do… But they shouldn't ask any questions, and if they do, don't answer. I know you don't want much interaction with people… though I wish you'd tell me why," Lena finished, throwing Raven a guilt-tripping look.

"I'm sorry; it's for your own safety, really…"

"Well, while we clean the dishes, I can go over some basic knowledge that will ensure that you arrive at the library safely," Lena offered.

Raven agreed, and, as the two women washed and dried the dishes, they discussed "the plan" that Raven would follow for tomorrow when she made her first trip outside.

"If you want to check out books, they'll ask for your name and address to give you a library card; you know this address right? Good. No one should be asking you anything about where you're from… but… if they do, tell them that you are from northern Canada."

"Canada? Isn't that a country similar to this one? Don't Canadians know pretty much everything that Americans do?"

"That's why you say _northern_ Canada."

"Okay…" Raven replied, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

The next morning, Raven set out for the library. She reached it within fifteen minutes, unscathed not too badly shaken. No one had stopped her or asked questions, although quite a few people _had_ stared at her hair. Was purple hair really that abnormal?

Raven had never seen so many books. Thousands upon thousands of books were stacked in shelves that lined every wall, as far as she could see. Sections were marked with hanging signs, labeled things like _Adult Fiction_ and _Biographies_. The floor was littered with chairs and tables and cushions, and an open area had long tables with more of those computer devices. She found a help desk and approached a free librarian.

"Hello, and how may I help you?"

"Yes… Where are the children's books please?"

If the lady behind the counter was going to say something divergent, she didn't. She merely smiled and pointed Raven to a small, colorful area that had many bright cushions spread out on the floor. She thanked the woman and hurried to immerse herself in a good read. However, Raven soon discovered that, while children's books did teach her some things about Earth, they were most utterly _boring_.

_Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun_ she disciplined herself.

* * *

The library closed at five o'clock, and Raven, who had not been informed of its operating hours, had only time to check out one book, _Goodnight Moon_; she would have to return tomorrow, and she would make note to check the clock more often. Nevertheless, the day had been a good one: she had gotten through almost all of the children's section; tomorrow she would pick up with the author _Wistlebert_ and finish them off. She was really looking forward to the adult mysteries; she was quite skilled at solving the mystery before the characters did.

She left the library in a somewhat cheerful manner, though she was careful not to appear too happy outwardly. _Blend into the background_, she would remind herself when she became too emotional, which, for Raven, was hardly ever. And, taking a look around her, she pretty much _was_ part of the background in this quiet park. The lone sun was setting in the sky once more, and Raven watched it with thoughts of her adventure from yesterday. She thought of Batman and the weird costumers, of the technologically knowledgeable girl in the café, and of her mother… What was her mother doing right now?

The dead of silence had slowly begun to fade away, and the faintest of light could be seen all around the park, even stretching to the neighboring streets. Raven's demonic senses kicked in, and she became aware of the sudden change in the atmosphere. The grass of the empty field to her right was blowing gently in the breeze… and the light was growing brighter?

"Something's coming," her senses told her. She gazed wildly at the sky, searching for whatever was approaching. "There!"

A bright mass of light was shooting toward the earth out of the sky. A star? Hadn't she just read about shooting stars in several of the children's books earlier? She knew that they were rare, and people always stood in awe while watching them soar through outer space… But she did not know anything about people who saw stars soaring _straight toward them_! The light grew brighter, and she started to run away from the meadow, trying to get out of the park before the giant piece of smoldering hot rock crashed and burned her to a crisp.

She took a fleeting glance at the sky above and saw that the star was closer than she had previously thought. And much bigger. She did not have time to outrun it…

Seconds before it came close enough, Raven threw energy shields all around her. The heat gradually vanished, and she was greeted by the familiar chill of her dark powers. She watched as the star crashed into the ground, pulling her with it into its deep crater. And as the light died down and the energy dispersed, she realized in fact that it was _not_ a star.

It was a spaceship.

She had only seen two comparable pictures in all of the five-hundred-and-sixty-seven books she had read. Only two pictures of spaceships, so she could not be entirely sure… But this definitely resembled a spaceship.

She disbanded her shields and warily stepped back. She didn't know what was inside, and she didn't really feel like giving her curiosity the satisfaction of finding out. However, she had gone no more than four steps backward when the door of the "UFO" was blasted from its hinges.

"ZENGTHA RU MAKA! KEK ZENGTHA ROR!"

_There's something inside!_ Only years of training kept the fear from reaching her face, although Raven's shoulders did begin to tremble slightly when a greenish light came from the inside of the space craft. Two bright green eyes flashed in the darkness, and Raven took a few steps back. _Of course there is something inside! What do you think was driving the ship? Didn't you just read that little green men called 'aliens' flew these rocket ships?_

"Heska vo," the voice hissed, the eyes finding Raven and narrowing to tiny slits.

"_Great_," she muttered. "Can't anything go right? It's bad enough that some alien is about to attack me, but it can't it _at least_ speak one of the six languages I know?!"

An orange hand uncurled into the light, pointing a long finger at her, and the voice spat, "Zop! Yark! Mesnef!"

"Erm… I come in piece?" she offered lamely. Well, she was pretty sure it wasn't a little green man…

The alien stepped out of the ship completely, and Raven gasped in surprise. The alien was female, a very beautiful female. Long red hair tumbled down her back clashing slightly with her dark orange skin. Her eyes were bright green, so bright that it seemed that they were made of light. She wore strange alien armor, a sort of black skirt-and-top set with metal under-armor, complete with a matching headpiece and boots. Raven noted that her hands were bound in thick, rigid handcuffs connected at both ends.

"Zota," the creature said, cracking her neck.

Raven had a feeling that the woman was preparing herself for a fight, something she did not wish to engage in. She was trying to hide from attention, not draw it out! And she was pretty sure that news of an alien landing would spread rapidly, probably also mentioning the half-demon witch it had fought with.

"_Hello_, Drama," she greeted sarcastically. The alien watched her quizzically.

"I don't want to fight," she explained slowly, raising her hands in a friendly gesture.

The alien, however, seemed to think that she raised her hands in agression. She rushed at Raven with such speed she'd never seen and swung her large handcuffs at the girl's head. Raven only ducked in time, feeling the rush of air pass over her; she scowled slightly and twisted her body, trying to kick the woman's legs out from under her.

"Gokta!" the alien taunted, flying up and heading for the city.

"Oh no you don't," Raven growled, taking to the skies as well. "My cover is not going to be blown by some disturbed alien!"

She caught her by a black boot, drawing the woman back to Earth. Unfortunately, the alien was much stronger than Raven, and the teenager was pried away and flung into the dirt. Choking and coughing, she quickly rose from the ground to catch the woman once more, this time an entire leg. "You are not—" But she was cut off by the sound of several wailing sirens, growing steadily louder. Where had she heard them before? Both women stopped struggling, trying to determine the source of the sound. Where had Raven that annoying siren before… had it been something on TV? Yes… those black and white cars with the flashing red lights! _The American military force! I can't let them see me!_ Without giving any thought to the alien or the leg that she was grasping, Raven summoned her powers and teleported herself to Lena's backyard.

"That was _definitely_ a close encounter of the third kind," she let out. However, she barely had enough time to relax before she heard someone else speaking.

"Frana ryja ru dygah sa?" the female alien asked, looking slightly shaken by the sudden transport. Raven tried to answer that she had _not_ meant to bring the dangerous woman with her, but, before she had even started, that orange hand had shot out and dragged Raven forward, and the alien crushed her lips to Raven's.

One of Lena's patio chairs blew apart into bits of wood and the back porch light shattered. Raven hastily pushed the woman off of her and stumbled back. Most of her emotions had come rushing forward, and she had to fight off several vile remarks that ended with a list of Latin swear words. Rage had been the hardest to stop, but she had used the most force on it, and it too eventually retreated to the dark corners of her mind...

Rather, she settled for a somewhat-clam, "I don't swing that way."

"Swing however you wish," the alien girl replied suddenly, "but stopping my revenge it will not. For what purpose am I here? Where is _here_?"

Raven's brain froze momentarily, barely registering what had been said. She was so surprised by the sudden use of English that she forgot about the kiss.

"What?" she asked hazily.

"To where have you brought me?"

"Oh… erm… my home," she replied nervously. She should have made sure that she was alone before teleporting. What if the alien destroyed Lena's house? That was no way to repay someone who had taken you in off the streets… She cursed herself for being so careless and irrational.

"I had to get away from the policemen," she continued. "They would have captured us both."

The alien snorted. "Taken them I would have."

"I think you would be highly outnumbered… And when did you learn English? What happened to that 'zorgntha' language you were speaking a minute ago?"

"It is _zengtha_," she corrected proudly. "And not the title of language was it. Tamarainian is the language I hail to, from the planet Tamaran!"

"Okay… Well, how did you learn English?"

"Eeinglishh? Is that which the tongue you speak?"

"Sure…"

"Oh," the alien replied dismissively, "I received knowledge of your tongue through the exchange of lips."

_That's right… she kissed me!_ She felt a tinge of pink on her face and resisted the urge to sock the woman between the eyes. She had just exchanged _exclusive_ contact with a stranger! A stranger of a different species no less! Her mother had told her that the Azarathian mating system was similar to that of Earth, so she was certain that giving a kiss was showing some form of romantic attraction… right?

"So… you don't like me, right? You are not… romantically interested?" Raven tried to clarify.

"I do not like you at all. But I believe you did try to save me from your please-men. Why?"

_Actually it was by accident…_ "I was… being nice?"

"Nice?" the alien asked. "My planet has no such word as 'nice.' Probably means 'weak.' We are not weak; we are not nice."

"Well, here, nice and weak are two different words with different meanings."

"Hmm… Are you nice?"

Raven looked at her, startled. How was she supposed to answer that? "Well… I suppose you could say that I come off as nice…"

"Come off?"

"Erm… Yes, I am nice. But I am not weak."

"I know. If you wish to be nice, remove my bindings might you? Remove them I cannot." The alien swung her handcuffs around to emphasize her point.

"Why are you handcuffed?"

The alien surveyed Raven for almost two whole minutes before speaking.

"Allow you that information I shall. Conceal some I will however."

"Fair enough." She could not see disagreeing; the woman might blow a fuse and throw her through a window.

"I was to be a prize for the Citadel. I was to be their servant."

"So you escaped?"

"Yes."

"Then won't they be coming for you?" She scanned the night sky, searching for another possible spaceship.

"No, I left them on the planet Huyngon hours before arriving…"

"Here, Earth."

"Why are you being _nice_? Appearance of wild ruk I must be."

"I'm not sure what a 'ruk' is, but why not? I am…" Raven trailed off. Why was she giving so much information away? What happened to blending in? Befriending aliens probably did not fall under 'blending in'… Why was she trying to understand this alien? Why was she pitying… Guilt. Raven felt guilty.

But why?

"You are…?" the other prompted.

"I am… trying to understand you… I am also new to this planet, and I had someone nice and kind show me how to live here. I had guidance… And I feel a need to _help_ you…"

"Although the help of yours is unnecessary, I give thanks for your thought. And," she paused, staring at Raven carefully, "am I to understand you as well? Guidance and the show of living here… are you offering to me as well?"

_She thinks I'm offering my home to her? I can't have an alien living in my house! _

"Your belongings are damaged," she spoke, pointing at Raven's bag.

Raven looked down at the bag Lena had given her for the library books she would check out. The bag was ripped, and the children's book was poking out, the cover looking dirty and damaged.

"_Goodnight Moon_? What is that?"

"A children's bedtime story…"

"Oh. I cannot read your English language well. Only use the tongue."

"And you are certain that those other aliens aren't going to be able to find you here?"

"Most certain. No one saw me after Huyngon. I was as agile as a furry mammal."

"As fast as a cheetah?" Raven guessed, suppressing a laugh.

"Possibly… many English words are unfamiliar to me. Learn enough only I have."

"Right… Well, come here and I will see what I can do about the handcuffs."

"Most thanks I will give your success."

Raven encased her right hand in the dark energy and whispered, "_Azarath Metrion Zinthos!_"

She heard a large crack, and then the handcuffs separated and fell from the alien's hands. She rubbed her sore wrists gently, and turned to Raven.

"Did I hear correctly?" she asked. Raven stared, confused.

"Hear what? Oh… my mantra? Yes, it helps to control my powers…" But Raven was beginning to understand why the alien girl was slowly backing away, panic spreading to her stern visage.

"Azarath you said…"

OH DAMN.

"…you are related to the demon Trigon, are you not?"

The remaining patio chairs snapped in half. Raven didn't know what to do… She could turn and run from whatever torture this woman about to try… but then… What if the alien told everyone she was a demon?

"You look troubled," the alien girl stated. "No need to worry… your secret I shall keep."

The empath gaped at the other. She wasn't going to harm her or run away in fright? She wasn't going to blow her cover?

"Why…?"

"I am doing the nice. I shall keep your identity a secret if you shall do the same for me."

Raven could only stare. Most people would have run away by now if they knew who she really was. But Azar hadn't, and her mother hadn't. And this girl wasn't either.

"Agreed," she replied, holding out a timid hand. The alien merely stared at it, before its meaning dawned on her.

"Oh!" she cried. "I need not formality!" She spread her arms wide and flew at Raven, wrapping her arms into a hug so tight that Raven could swear she was turning blue.

"Uhh…" she coughed.

"Oh! I am sorry!" And she let Raven go. "Forgive me… Ah! I do not even know your name! Tell me… friend, what is your name?" she asked, smiling.

"Rachel. And yours is…?"

"In your language, my name would be 'Star Fire.'"

"Well," she greeted, "welcome to Earth, Starfire."

* * *

I do not own _Goodnight Moon_ by Margaret Wise Brown. Most of the Tamarainian language came from the episode "Go!" so I do not own that either…

Whew! Finally finished this chapter! It took way too long… but I suppose the 22 pages compensates huh :3

Okay, so Starfire has been introduced… :D I won't tell you what is going to happen next, because that would give away my story! Hopefully I explained everything well enough… if you have questions, feel free to ask XD

Next… _Chapter III – Learning The Hard Way_.


	4. Learning The Hard Way

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans or any related DC Comics characters.

Summary: Raven escaped Azarath and her past by coming to Earth. But in order to remain hidden, she must blend in with a "normal teenage life" something she wants no part in. And Ravager and Robin don't do much to lighten the load…

yesh yesh I know is this waaay overdue, and I know some of you probably abandoned this heh but here's chapter 3 at last! a bit shorter and some things not fully explained, but they will be next chapter!

* * *

**Before The West Coast**

By: Chi Yagami

* * *

**Chapter III – Learning The Hard Way**

"_Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must first set yourself on fire."_ — Fred Shero

The man sat on the couch opposite his young ward. "Any luck?"

"Let's see… I saw a very cute blonde who wanted my number…"

"_Get to the point, Robin_."

"No violet-haired females of any size… and I did not see anyone teleporting or levitating objects…"

"You're obviously not looking hard enough."

A scoff. "I combed that city clean!"

"Then she evaded you…"

"Like how whatever came out of that UFO escaped _The Batman_?"

"Worry about your own case, Robin. Let me handle that."

"Do you think the spaceship and this purple chic are related?"

"Possibly… There's a high probability that they are connected."

"Friends of hers?"

"Or enemies…"

"Always thinking of the worst, aren't you?"

"Someone has to. Now, tomorrow, you are to ask around. Question if anyone has seen this girl."

"Whatever… I'm going to bed. 'Night."

"Robin…"

"Yes?"

"You should work on your attitude."

Sigh. "If you say so…"

"I most certainly do."

* * *

"YOU WANT TO DO **WHAT**?!"

_Not necessarily _want _to…_ "She _has_ to stay here!"

Starfire might have cowered at the intensity of Lena's voice, but Raven was not about to step down on such a crucial matter. Lena Roth covered her eyes with her hands, as if not being able to see the alien would make her disappear.

There is no use in talking to her when she is this upset, Raven reasoned; she would have wait until her aunt could control herself. The empath sighed and sat on the couch across from the anxious woman. The subject of the current argument, meanwhile, was happily staring around the room at the strange Earth devices, practically ignoring the other two and enjoying herself immensely.

"Explain to me again, why I have to hide an _alien_ in my house?" Lena asked after several long minutes of silence. Raven crossed her legs politely and folded her hands on her knees.

"I… err… _accidentally_ ran into a spaceship in the park, and then the military came—"

"_The MILITARY?!_" Lena interrupted, looking startled. "You have the _military_ after you?!"

"Not the entire force I'm sure… Just a few of those black and white cars."

Lena's face relaxed immediately. "Oh. It was only the police…"

"Aren't the police force and the military the same? Don't they both protect citizens from evil?"

"Well… mostly… the police are assigned to local areas, while the military protects the whole country… but never mind that! You're going off on tangents!"

"I apologize," Raven said, continuing the previous discussion. With a thoughtful glance at Starfire, she started, "I knew that the police would want to know where the spaceship came from. Then, they'd probably find the alien that escaped from it… and I knew that they would probably find some connection to me… And so I panicked and came back here, bringing her with me." Lena opened her mouth to speak, but Raven wasn't ready to hear what she had to say just yet. "I felt bad, okay? She is just like me: new, confused… She was running away from her captors. I … I wanted to help her…" But why? _Why_ had she been feeling guilty? She wasn't supposed to be feeling anything! "That, well, and she knows my real identity."

Her aunt looked up at this, staring into Raven's dark eyes. "Rachel… I can't… I can barely afford to house one teenager unnoticed by the government; there's no way I can manage two!"

Another sinking feeling crept into her heart; Raven should not be asking this of Lena. Her aunt had already done enough for her…

"Please, I will not be of trouble," Starfire voiced suddenly. "I want to return home now, but I am fearful of my pursuers. I can leave after I am forgotten."

"What?" Lena asked, staring at the redhead with mild interest. "'Forgotten'?"

"She means that she wants to stay here a while. She doesn't want to leave right away because her attackers are still… within the solar system, I think."

"Aliens," muttered Lena, "now I've seen everything… And she knows your secret identity?"

"Yes…" Raven's face darkened. "I'm not sure how she found out, but it could be a problem if we let her go."

"Why?"

Raven hesitated. "My secret identity is… not very _popular_ to those who know of it…"

"Please," Starfire pleaded. "I shall tell you _my_ secret identity if you let me stay."

Raven almost let out a dry laugh. _As if that means anything to Lena…_

"I'm sorry," Lena sighed. "I just can't deal with this right now. I need a drink…"

* * *

_Blend in. Stay unnoticed. Hide out at your aunt's until your eighteenth birthday has passed. Let no one know who you really are; that is the most important thing._

How was she supposed to remain unnoticed now? Walking around the _mall_, which was crawling with other people, _shopping_, which meant interacting, with the most unnoticeable redheaded alien girl in the universe.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she muttered as the bubbly alien bounded over.

"Friend Rae-Rae, look what I have discovered!" she called out most excitedly.

As soon as she was within reach, Raven grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her close, not because she was comfortable with the proximity (she was _not_!) but because she didn't want anyone to overhear what she was about to say.

"You cannot call me that in public!" she hissed. "Actually, don't ever call me that again. Just stick to 'Rachel.'"

"Oh," the other replied, looking deeply sorry, "I am truly apologizing. I am sorry, friend _Rachel_. But see what I have found!"

"What is it… Starfire?" Raven asked, following her to a window display with a frown; they would need a new name for Starfire. She couldn't walk around introducing herself with that name; it would just bring more unwanted attention.

"I believe I have found _your_ store!" she exclaimed with glee, pointing.

Raven looked at the window display. "And what makes you call it 'my store'?"

"You like these do you not? You wear dark garments; I thought…"

Although she knew Starfire did not mean it that way, Raven felt somewhat insulted. So what if she grew up with gloom and despair? Did it mean she wore dark clothes and chains and nails and whatever other bizarre things were displayed in the window of _Hot Topic_? No it didn't (even though she wore dark colors, it was because she _liked_ them, not because she was dark and evil. No, wait, she couldn't voice that point because it wasn't entirely true…).

"Uh, _thanks_ but I'm not interested in things that stand out. Lena said if we want to blend in, we should stick to buying the following things," she explained, taking a list out of her pocket. "Buy only: T-shirts, sweaters, blouses, jeans, skirts, dresses, keeping mainly to plain colors or simple patterns and/or designs."

"Then should we not go to the plain store your aunt said? The mart that sells walls?" Starfire asked.

Raven crossed her arms, answering, "_You_ wanted to come to the mall."

The redhead smiled sheepishly before walking off and continuing her mission to find the perfect clothes for school.

School.

Raven had not anticipated this. She had not been expecting to have to interact with other people on a daily basis, at all really. She did not want to attend a school swarmed with idiot teenagers like the ones here in the mall. But it was a condition, the main condition to letting Starfire stay.

Two nights ago, after Lena had had her much needed drink, the three women sat down at the kitchen table to discuss things. Lena said that she really didn't want an alien under her roof; she was already housing an unknown person from the US government, and adding another would put too much pressure on her. She really just wanted to kick the alien out.

But she couldn't. Lena explained that she felt horrible about not being able to save her sister. She had been plagued with guilt about it ever since Arella had run away. However, now she could make up for it. By protecting her sister's child, she felt she could fight the guilt that had been haunting her for years. And if housing a dangerous alien was involved, she would do it. On several conditions.

1. Starfire had to adopt a fake name.

2. Lena would have to let the government know, so she could get funding. She could not afford to house and feed three people by herself. She would need free child aid money (when Raven had asked how she was going to explain where the girls came from and why she was housing them, Lena gave her a third condition).

3. Raven and Starfire had to go by their fake aliases at all times. Rachel was the daughter of Lena's sister, abandoned by her mother and left in a remote village in Northern Canada (Lena said they could give DNA samples for this). Starfire (who needed to pick her alias soon) was the daughter of Lena's late husband's brother's wife's cousin all the way from a deserted town in Yugoslavia (which was to explain her mixed up English).

4. The girls had to attend public school. It would be required once the government discovered them.

Which was why the two were currently shopping, mostly for Starfire who owned no Earth clothes (Raven could borrow some of her mother's old things).

"Alright, let's give you a name, Starfire," Raven said, tired using the name "Starfire" in public. Plus, sooner the better: she assumed Starfire would need some time to adjust…

"What? Oh, you mean my secret alien?" she asked, turning around to face Raven.

"Alien…? You mean _alias_. Yes, you need an alias, or fake name. We can't call you Starfire; it doesn't sound Yugoslavian, your supposed nationality. So, what should we call you….?"

"Well, my Tamarainian name might sound like the You Go Slobbers," Starfire suggested. "I told you my name is _Starfire_ here, but in Tamarainian it is pronounced _Koriand'r_."

"I have no idea if that sounds like a Slovenian name or not," Raven replied honestly. She couldn't care less what the alien was called, so long as it sounded normal and plain. However, why not let her be called something she likes? Raven had picked Rachel because it was close to her real name (probably a dangerous thing to do but the damage was already done), so why not let Starfire pick something that sounds close to her name? _Come on Raven— no, Rachel… need to get used to calling myself that— you can suggest it. Be nice. Isn't that what you said you were going to do? Be nice so that evil can't triumph. Be kind so that when the time comes, your good side will not fall prey to—_

"Friend Rachel, how do you know so much? About the You Go Slobbers to which I am now joining?" Starfire asked, interrupting Raven's self-peptalk.

"_Yugoslavians_. My mother taught me Earth geography well. Now… We could come up with a name that sounds like… _Koriand'r_," Raven suggested. "How about… something like… Cory Anders?"

"No! How does the Cory Anders differ from Koriand'r?"

True. Cory Anders sounded a bit too close to Koriand'r. However, Rachel sounded pretty close to Raven…

"How about… Korinne Andrews?" she tried again. "Kori for short?"

Starfire twirled around in a circle; she probably would have flown into the air if Raven hadn't caught hold of her wrist. "Oh what a joyful sound! 'Korinne… Andrews!'" she giggled. "It has a bell of nice attached. Is it a Slobber name?"

Raven shrugged. Hopefully no one would care.

"Hello! I am Korinne Andrews of the You Go Slobbers!"

Raven snapped her head over to where Starfire— Kori had gone. She was animatedly talking to a pair of teenage boys, showing them the clothes she'd already bought. _Oh no, please tell me she isn't explaining _why_ she bought them…_

"Yes… that shirt matches your pretty green eyes," the orange-haired one was saying when Raven approached. "Oh and who's this?"

"This is my friend Rachel," Star— Kori cried, dragging Raven into the circle. "Friend Rachel, these mall boys were asking about my bags! See?" She shoved the bags into Raven's face for emphasis.

"Yes, I already know what you bought…"

"Ah so you two are shopping together?" the orange one continued. "Korinne and…?"

"Rachel," she supplied. "Come on, Kori, we need to keep shopping."

"We could show you around. Korinne said you two were new in town, doing a little shopping."

"No," Raven answered, so directly that the boys flinched. "I mean, _no thanks_. We shouldn't talk to strangers—"

"I'm Roy," the same boy interrupted, "and this is Garth. Now we aren't strangers." He smiled and held out his hand.

Raven was not comfortable touching other people. _No, you're not Raven, you're Rachel! Raven stands out, Raven would not fit in here… Rachel, on the other hand, needs to fit in. Rachel should be somewhat comfortable, more so than I naturally am… even if Rachel grew up in a cult... I need to blend in!_

Raven shook his hand tentatively before dropping it. Roy smiled again, and she could see a tiny spray of freckles across his nose.

"Friends, let us continue our journey through the mall of shopping!" Starfire— Kori cried, grabbing Roy's hand and pulling him after her. Raven and Garth followed, albeit more slowly.

"So, where are you from?" Garth asked suddenly, startling her.

"What?"

"You're new in town, right? Where are you from?"

"Oh. Canada," she answered. Might as well tell him, and get the story straight now so she could practice what she would tell the government agents later (and anyone else she had to explain herself to).

"Cool. I'm from the Atlantic Ocean," he offered, smiling. At her look of disbelief, he laughed and explained, "I was born while my parents were cruising the Atlantic. My mom thought I wasn't due for another month!"

He laughed again, and Raven tried to smile even though his past didn't concern or interest her. Smiling was the polite thing to do… and she needed all the good in her system that she could get.

"So where's uhh Kori from? When I asked her, she just told me to 'go slobber,'" he said, looking annoyed. "Are you two related?"

"Yes, we're related, but we're nothing alike. She is my… distant cousin from Yugoslavia. Her English is a bit mixed up because they didn't have good English teachers in her town."

"But she can't even say her own country right…"

Raven answered lamely, "She thinks she is supposed to pronounce it differently…"

"I don't think it would matter if she was from Slobber Land," Garth said amusedly. "Roy seems to have taken a liking to her." He pointed to where the two were rifling through racks of clothes.

"Well, it's good to see she's making friends…" Raven offered for lack of a better response.

"Friend Rachel, Friend Garth, see what we have found! These glorious clothes for me! And these plain clothes for you, Rachel!" Kori stated, shoving a pile of clothes into Raven's unsuspecting hands. The boys snickered at her obvious discomfort, but, not wanting to make anything out of nothing, Raven ignored them and led Kori to the cash register.

* * *


End file.
